The true story behind The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is one of the most beloved war films of all time, but have you heard of the Filthy Thirteen squadron it was based upon?
Image: Filthy Thirteen member Clarence Ware applies war paint to Charles Plauda on 5th June 1944 | Public Domain
Upon its release in 1967, The Dirty Dozen quickly became a box-office sensation, grossing over $45 million and earning no less than four Oscar nominations.
In the film, a rag-tag bunch of robbers, murderers and rapists are tasked with assassinating a group of high-ranking Nazi officials in the run-up to D-Day. If successful, they will earn full pardons.
The against-the-odds audacity of the plot, alongside the stellar performances from the star-studded cast, made it an instant classic of the silver screen. But while largely fictional, the story is loosely based on real events. Read on to discover what our team at Sky HISTORY has been able to uncover about the inspiration for the film.
‘The Filthy Thirteen’
Robert Aldrich’s movie was in turn based on the EM Nathanson novel of the same name, published two years prior. Nathanson revealed that he had been inspired to write the book when he heard filmmaker Russ Meyer talk about an American paratrooper squad known as the Filthy Thirteen.
After carrying out two years of assiduous research, Nathanson finally gave up trying to find the relevant documents and evidence to corroborate Meyer’s tale. As a result, he decided to make the work a piece of fiction, changing details and plotlines as he saw fit.
Nonetheless, it appears that the Filthy Thirteen did in fact exist and were tasked with launching the first military action of D-Day. In the years since the film’s release, several surviving members of the squad have come forward to give their own account of their exploits.
Mavericks not convicts
In the film, the Dirty Dozen are a bunch of criminals and misfits who are given a shot at redemption for undertaking a highly dangerous covert mission. In reality, the Filthy Thirteen were nothing of the sort.
Instead, the nickname referred to the 1st Demolition Section of Headquarters Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which belonged to the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Elite commandoes specialising in demolition, they earned their nickname due to the fact that they avoided bathing so as to save their water rations for cooking game they had illegally poached from nearby manors.
Poaching wasn’t the only misdemeanour they engaged in, either. According to their own Sergeant, Jake 'McNasty' McNiece, they were constantly in trouble with the military authorities for disobeying orders, going AWOL and stealing.
Discipline was clearly not one of their strong suits, but neither were they criminals. They were simply mavericks with no respect for authority, but they got away with their insubordination due to their prodigious talents in the field.
A top-secret mission
On screen, the Dirty Dozen are parachuted into Nazi-occupied France with the objective of eliminating a number of Wehrmacht officers at their private chateau near Rennes. In reality, the goal of the Filthy Thirteen was not assassination, but demolition.
They were being launched to take control of or destroy several key bridges, thus preventing the Germans from withdrawing from their positions and fortifying their grip on other parts of Normandy. Their incursion would be followed up by the main body of almost 7,000 ships and over 2,000 aircraft which would comprise the main D-Day assault.
Of course, the Filthy Thirteen squadron members must have known they were embarking on what amounted to basically a suicide mission, but they undertook the task with admirable determination and bravery. According to McNiece’s later testimony, he parachuted in with 20 men and came out with only two.
Nonetheless, the mission was deemed a success. Through a combination of the group’s efforts and airborne bombing, two bridges were destroyed and a third commandeered. As such, the Filthy Thirteen played their part in one of the most decisive turning points in the entirety of World War II.
'30% true, 70% fiction'
Despite the runaway success of the book and film, the true story of the Filthy Thirteen did not surface until many years later. When it eventually came to light, the daughter of one of the crew’s surviving members, John Agnew, said her father had told her around 30% of the movie was true to life.
Another point in the historical accuracy plus column must go towards the film’s cast list. Many of its stars, who were major Hollywood icons of the day, had served time in the military and so could draw upon their own experiences when imbuing their characters with the requisite tenacity and grit.
Lee Marvin was a scout sniper, Charles Bronson was a gunner and George Kennedy was a pilot, while Ernest Borgnine served in the navy and Telly Savalas in the army. Even director Aldrich was drafted, but an old injury prevented him from seeing any action before his discharge.
With D-Day having celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, it’s perhaps fitting that this classic tale is receiving new legions of fans every day. And with a mooted remake in the works, helmed by Suicide Squad director David Ayers, it could earn even more very soon.
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